When will the Switch 2 be released?

A recent rumour has stated that Nintendo is producing as many Switch 2 units as possible to avoid a console shortage at launch. If true, they’re clearly confidant and have every right to be. The Switch is one of the best-selling consoles ever. Assuming they’ve learnt the lessons of the Wii U, Switch 2 will probably succeed. Whether or not the console launch goes smoothly is another question. Companies often have problems and shortages at launch. Still, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We don’t know when the Switch 2 is going to launch. It hasn’t even been announced yet.

Several weeks ago, it was rumoured that Switch 2 would be announced during the September Nintendo Direct. But it wasn’t. They didn’t even have a September Direct, a surprise in itself. They nearly always have a big September Direct. Maybe there was some behind-the-scenes disagreement, and Nintendo changed their minds at the last moment; that’s not unheard of. It does kind of make sense, though. Nintendo probably wants a good Christmas, and announcing the console before Christmas, if it’s not ready to launch, would probably eat into Switch 1’s Christmas sales. Granted, Switch 1 was announced before Christmas 2016 and released afterwards, but that was during the Wii U era. Nintendo was probably looking at a bad Christmas either way, then. I’ve heard it suggested that Switch 2 could be announced in December and launched in Q1 of 2025. This feels unlikely for the same reason.

Nevertheless, it’s safe to assume that an announcement will come early next year. In fact, it’s all but confirmed that the announcement will come before the financial year ends in March. And rumours are coming in fast, suggesting that they’re getting ready for the launch as well. Planning a global distribution and lining up games naturally requires them to expand the inner circle by informing marketers, administrators and developers about their plans. Creating ample opportunity for leaks and rumour fuel. You can’t keep a worldwide simultaneous release secret. The more rumours there are, the closer we must be. Not just to the announcement, which will happen in Q1 of 2025, but to the launch as well. It sounds pretty obvious when I put it like that, huh? I’ve also heard it suggested that the launch will take place in Q1 as well. That feels less certain, surely they’d want time to build up the hype?

The mysterious lack of a September Direct might also indicate an early 2025 launch and, therefore, a very early announcement. Despite the Switch approaching the end of its life, Nintendo has released a surprisingly large number of games like Echoes of Wisdom. Recent leaks have confirmed that Switch 2 will be backwards compatible, so these recent games will still be playable. Moreover, if Nintendo keeps the Switch 1 alive as a budget option, as Sony did with the PS2, a strong library will remain important. Still, you would expect them to hold back some games for Switch 2. There needs to be a reason to actually get one! Perhaps the September Direct was cancelled because they are finally holding back games. Perhaps all the games that are currently nearly completion are intended solely for Switch 2. Not only would that make for a successful launch, but it might also indicate that the launch date is very close. Assuming that Nintendo doesn’t want any slowdowns in its game release schedule, the Switch 2 will have to be released soon.

Nintendo usually has a Direct in February as well. If this doesn’t also get cancelled, to hold back games, then it is a potential window for the announcement. It will be early in the new year, after Christmas, and well within the leaked announcement deadline of March. It’s also a common time for Nintendo announcements. Or maybe there’ll be a teaser trailer in January and a proper presentation in February. Nintendo likes to throw curve balls, so anything is possible. But if I had to put money on it, I’d say there will be a February announcement. And what does that mean for the launch? If it’s announced in February, it won’t be launched in March. It needs time for word to get out and excitement to build. Switch 1 was announced in late October and launched in early March. Utilising that schedule, a February announcement would put the launch date around June -July time. But again, who can predict Nintendo? They could feasibly want the launch to happen within the financial year. Either way, Switch 2 is definitely coming in 2025.

It’s going to be a good year.

-Dexter